Thor review

Thor movie poster 2011 — The Mighty Thor

On Saturday, 7 May 2011, Janice and I met Josh C. & Sara F. and Josh’s brother Jeff at the Showcase Cinemas at Legacy Place in Dedham, Massachusetts. We screened Thor and found the latest comic-book movie adaptation to be entertaining.

If you’re looking for a faithful approach to Norse mythology, this isn’t the place. On the other hand, Marvel/Disney and Paramount are fairly respectful of the characters and imagery of Jack Kirby, Walt Simonson, and artist Oliver Copiel and Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Stracyznski.

Director Kenneth Branagh, who is better known for his excellent Shakespearean films Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing, and Hamlet, deftly gets strong performances from his cast and focuses on the human drama amid the mythic action.

Aussie actor Chris Hemsworth (who played James T. Kirk’s father in the Star Trek reboot) is bulked-up and charismatic as the god of thunder, who’s easily the equal in power or personality of anyone else in Marvel’s superhero pantheon. Tom Hiddleston, Branagh’s co-star in the moody Wallander, is appropriately scheming as Thor’s foster brother Loki, and Anthony Hopkins lends gravitas as Odin.

Other Asgardians include Renee Russo as Thor’s mother Frigga, Ray Stevenson as the portly Volstagg of the Warriors Three, and Jamie Alexander as female warrior Sif. All stand with Thor as he learns humility after being exiled to Midgard (Earth). Despite some early complaints about the colorblind casting of Idris Elba as Heimdall, guardian of the Bifrost, and Tadanobu Asano as Hogun, it didn’t bother me as “racebending” in other movies has.

Genre veteran Natalie Portman is fine as astrophysicist Dr. Jane Foster (originally a nurse in the comics), and Kat Dennings lends some comic relief as her snarky colleague Darcy Lewis. Since the trailers showed SHIELD’s Agent Coulson, played by Clark Gregg, it should come as no surprise that Thor continues laying the path started by Iron Man toward an Avengers cinematic teamup.

Thor‘s script, which had several screenwriters, is serviceable and has a good amount of humor. The soundtrack could have been more operatic, but the fight scenes are well choreographed, especially in an early battle with frost giants in Jotunheim. The nine realms of Norse lore are described as worlds joined by an extradimensional tree, with Asgardian science being sufficiently advanced so as to be indistinguishable by humans from magic, directly quoting Arthur C. Clarke.

In fact, the massive sets and potentially goofy costumes were closer to their comic book roots than most recent superhero movies have been. I prefer such faithfulness and hope that DC/Warner Brothers’ similarly cosmic Green Lantern also handles cosmic drama well. Thor‘s 3-D effect, which was added in postproduction, didn’t add much to the visual experience and even made tracking movement more difficult.

Despite only decent initial box-office returns in the U.S. (compared with Iron Man or The Dark Knight), I hope that Thor continues the trend of successful superhero flicks. Overall, I’d give Thor, which is rated PG for violence, an 8 out of 10, a solid “B,” or three out of five stars.

After the movie, we had lunch at Whole Foods’ extensive salad bar. Janice and I then went to Free Comic Book Day at New England Comics and Newbury Comics in Norwood, Mass. Because we went to the shops after the movie, many of the free issues had already been snapped up. Still, I want a new generation of readers to discover the medium and hobby.

Boston Comic Con 2011 report

Cosplaying fans — Some of the Justice League

On Saturday, 30 April 2011, I attended the Boston Comic Con. The show moved from the Westin Boston Waterfront to the larger Hynes Convention Center downtown. There were numerous artists, vendors, and costumed fans, and I’m glad the modest show moved to a larger venue.

Among the artists I spoke with were Frank Cho, who I’ve followed since The Washington Post ran Liberty Meadows; Joe Quinones, whose expressive and retro renditions of Green Lantern were phenomenal in Wednesday Comics; and Stephane Roux, whose work I’m currently enjoying in DC’s Zatanna.

The comic book writers and graphic artists were accessible, the back issues were fairly well organized and priced, and there were also panel discussions. It may not have had the attendance of last month’s Anime Boston, but I hope that events such as the Boston Comic Con and Wizard World’s New England Comic Con continue to grow and prosper.

Hollywood has kept mining comic books and graphic novels for ideas, and I look forward to this week’s opening of Thor, as well as Green Lantern and Captain America: the First Avenger. Janice and I had hoped to get to Dylan Dog: Dead of Night last weekend, but the movie (based on an Italian supernatural horror/comedy title) wasn’t playing anywhere nearby.

I’m less interested in X-Men: First Class and the Spider-Man reboot, since they take more liberties with the continuity established in both the source material and the previous films. They and the planned Fantastic Four, Ghost Rider, and Hulk movies seem more intended for Sony and Fox to hang onto their licenses rather than let them revert to Disney/Marvel control. Other than Chris Nolan’s profitable Batman series, Warner Bros./DC Comics has some catching up to do!

On the animation side, I still recommend Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and Young Justice, and it’s too bad that the campy Batman and the Brave and the Bold has been canceled, but at least Bruce Timm and company are working on a Green Lantern television series.

Back in print, I’m also looking forward to Free Comic Book Day, which is this Saturday, May 7. I’ve thinned out my monthly “pull list,” or subscription, at New England Comics in Norwood, Massachusetts. I’ve dropped The Avengers, Batman, Batman and Robin, Streets of Gotham, and the proliferating Green Hornet titles, but I’m still reading many others, which I’ll try to review in the coming months.

Sucker Punch review

Zach Snyder's crossgenre movie — Sucker Punch

After doing some spring cleaning of our bookshelves and having a good brunch at Zaftig’s Delicatessen in Natick, Mass., Janice and I met Thomas K.Y. and his friend to screen Sucker Punch. Despite mixed reviews, we enjoyed the crossgenre action movie.

Director Zach Snyder has faithfully adapted other people’s works, such as 300, Watchmen, and Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, but Sucker Punch is his first original work. He’ll also be directing next year’s Superman: The Man of Steel cinematic reboot. The script/dialogue and plot could have used more polishing, but the acting and cinematography were solid.

Emily Browning plays a young woman who’s institutionalized after a family tragedy. In a 1950s American gothic asylum, she befriends characters depicted by the attractive Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, and Jamie Chung. Carla Gugino, as a Polish psychiatrist, teaches the girls to dance and escape their unpleasant reality into shared dreams.

They’re menaced by orderly Oscar Isaac, who appears in the alternate universe as a pimp, and Jon Hamm as a lobotomist/”high roller.” From the first-level dreamscape of the burlesque show, the girls descend into a world where their obstacles are represented by giant samurai, World War I zombies, orcs, robots, and a dragon. Scott Glenn appears as an old man who guides them on their missions to find clues to escaping their multilayered prison.

Snyder isn’t bashful about alluding to his inspirations, which include Heavy Metal, Brazil, and Kill Bill, all of which I also like. In fact, I enjoyed Sucker Punch more than similar movies such as What Dreams May Come and Inception. The skimpy costumes notwithstanding, the movie isn’t as exploitative as I had feared, and the fight scenes are well-choreographed, if sometimes hard to follow.

I was also favorably impressed with Sucker Punch‘s soundtrack, which includes Browning covering the Eurythmics, as well as Bjork, some metallic tracks, and “Love is the Drug” sung by Gugino and Isaac over the credits.

Overall, I’d give Sucker Punch a 7 or 8 out of 10, a solid “B,” or three or four stars out of five. The film is rated PG-13 for violence, sexuality, and language. Fans of high fantasy, dieselpunk, or psychological thrillers who keep their expectations in check should enjoy the visuals even if they recognize most of the story.

Rango review and chocolate

On Saturday, 12 March 2011, I screened the computer-animated movie Rango with Janice, Thomas K.Y., Sara F. & Josh C., and their friend Robin. As with the previous weekend’s viewing of Megamind, we were pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the comedic Western more than we expected to.

Rango, the first animated feature from George Lucas’ Industrial Light and Magic, successfully pairs the conventions of the Western with the most scraggly anthropomorphic animals I’ve seen.

As a fan of Watership Down, Redwall, and Mouse Guard, I’m pleased that director Gore Verbinski balanced modern grit, slapstick, and sympathetic characters. As with other cartoons, Rango‘s script and soundtrack include numerous allusions to other movies, from the obvious The Magnificent Seven and Blazing Saddles to the more offbeat Apocalypse Now and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

The celebrity voice cast acquits itself well, with Johnny Depp channeling Robin Williams and Capt. Jack Sparrow as the eponymous lizard Rango, Isla Fisher as tough gal Beans, Spider-Man 2‘s Alfred Molina as armadillo Roadkill, and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy‘s Bill Nighy as Rattlesnake Jake.

Rango‘s supporting cast is also strong, including Ned Beatty, Abigail Breslin, Stephen Root, Harry Dean Stanton, Timothy Olyphant, and Ray Winstone. The plot is pretty standard, with former pet Rango finding his calling as sheriff of a desert town called Dirt that’s oppressed by various bad guys. The animation is state of the art, both realistic and cartoony.

Overall, I’d give Rango, which is rated PG for violence, a B+, 8 out of 10, or three stars. That puts it roughly on par with The Illusionist and Megamind. The next movie I hope to see in the theater is Zach Snyder’s hyperstylized Sucker Punch.

After the movie, we went to the Met Burger Bar at Legacy Place in Dedham, Massachusetts. The food and conversation were good, but service was a little slow, and the dining room was noisy. We’ll have to try more restaurants at that outdoors shopping mall.

Although I didn’t make it to the Pax East game convention with Ken G. this past weekend, I did pick up my comic book subscription, among other things, in Norwood, Mass. Janice and also I enjoyed the annual “Death by Chocolate” charity event, which was better organized than last year’s and still tasty.

Catching up — Megamind

This past weekend, I met fellow blogger Thomas K.Y. and role-player Josh C. at Thomas’ condominium in Lexington, Massachusetts. We watched Megamind on DVD. I liked the superhero movie more than I expected.

Although it’s part of a recent glut of computer-animated comedies focusing on villains turned heroes — including the Shrek franchise, Igor, and Despicable Me — Megamind respectfully spoofs comic book conventions and has a sharp script. The film has numerous allusions to its inspiration but still feels fresh, reminding me of one of my favorite Pixar works, The Incredibles.

Megamind also features a strong cast, including Will Ferrell as the self-absorbed titular alien, Brad Pitt as Superman knockoff Metro Man, and Tina Fey as intrepid reporter Roxanne. The supporting cast also has fun, with David Cross as fishy sidekick Minion, Ben Stiller as museum curator/alter ego Bernard, and Jonah Hill as protégé gone wrong Hal Stewart/Titan. I wasn’t distracted by the celebrity voices, but it helped that I watched the film long after any promotional hype.

Unlike the “uncanny valley” of Robert Zemeckis’ animation, the cartoony yet realistic style of Megamind and movies like Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, How to Train Your Dragon and Legend of the Guardians: the Owls of Ga’Hoole doesn’t bother me. Megamind‘s action scenes were well-choreographed, and we’ve come a long way from the original Tron or ReBoot (whose complete series is finally available on DVD).

I’d give Megamind, which is rated PG for language and violence, a solid B+, 8 out of 10, or three stars. Although I’m still a fan of “traditional,” 2-D animation, I do enjoy the best of the new wave, even if I haven’t yet seen Toy Story 3 or Tangled. I hope to screen the anthropomorphic animals in Western comedy Rango this coming weekend.

After lunch at Watch City Brewing Co. on Waltham’s Moody Street, Thomas, Josh, and I watched Alien vs. Ninja, which is just as silly a “B” movie as the title suggests. Janice and I also ate at regular haunts Comella’s, Acapulco’s, and Wild Willy’s this past weekend.